Locking device for drawer sections



May 6, 1930. G. H. WHEARY LOCKING DEVICE FOR DRAWER SECTIONS Filed Sept.14, 1923 May 6, 1930;

. G. H. WHEARY LOCKING DEVICE FOR DRAWER SECTIONS Filed Sept. 14,1925 2Sheeas-Shet 2 Patented ,May 6, I 1936 I N'VITEID 1ST s PATENT OFF!GEORGE ammwnm i, or arc-ma, WISCONSIN, Assmmam WHEARY TRUNK COMPANY, ormama, wrsconsrn, A CORPORATION or WISCONSIN 130mm DnvIoE ron DRAWERSECTIONS Application filed September 14,1923. Serial No. seam.

ed for use in locking the drawers'of a ward robe trunkQ V g Wardrobetrunk drawer locking devices may be generally classified as theremovable.

' type which is in the form of a locking bar adapted to besecured acrossthe fronts of the drawers, or the non-removable type which is actuatedbyone'ofthe drawers to lock the others i-n closed position, and it is tothis latter'type-that this invention relates.

Drawer locking devices of the last mentioned type have been open toseveral obj ections among'which may be listed the cost in cidentaltotheir manufacture and installa tion, the unsatisfactory securityoflrer'ed against unauthorized opening oflthe drawers, and the inabilityto -eafs'ily'-operate'the same? Having the above inmind this inventionhas for a primary object to provide locking means" for the drawers" of awardrobe trunk of the character" described, which may be" easily andcheapl constructed and-installed, is sturdyandprevents the unauthorizedopening of the drawers and isreadily'actuated with' a'minimum'effort. 7This invention has for another objectto provide a locking device of thecharacter de i scribed which'is c onceale dby'the fittings of the trunkto in no wise mar the general appearance thereof; r 1

Itisi a further object "of this invention to provide an aligning stripand reinforcing member for the drawer section which is longitudinallychanneled to 'forma guideway for reciprocally mountingfand concealingal'oc'k ingIbar adapted, "upont'he closing movement of one drawertosecure the others in closed position. a v r J V And'a still furtherobject of this invention resides inthe provision of an improved reinsforcing strip-for the drawer section of a ward- V robe trunk havingmeans for housingand concealing a drawer locking-device having a partengageable w1th-a part carried'by one of the" drawers when closed lockthe remainingi drawers.

W'Vith the above and 'othercobj'ects in view which will appear as thedescription-proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construetion,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims,-itbeingunderstoo d that such changes in-t'he precise embodiment of thehe'rein' disclosed invention may be made as comefwithin thescopelof theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings; I illlustrated one complete example of thephysical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the bestmode I have so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples thereof, and in which:

Figure his .a perspective viewof a wardrobe trunlr equipped fwith adrawer locking; device embodying my inventiomthe sections being openedand several of the drawers renioved; i 1

Figure 2 isa fragmentary detailview, partly in sectionand'partlyinelevation, taken through Figure 3 on the plane of the line22;

Figure 31 is a detailiview' looking on the plane of the line 3'3 ofFigure-2, parts there'- of being'broken away and in section toillustrate details of construction; v

. Figure i -is a view of one" side of theward} robe sectionof a trunkequipped with my invention'fsaid view being taken Ton theplane of theline 4t*of Figure 3 and having parts broken-away; and lIlfSQCtlOl ljFigure 5 is afragmentary partly in elevation and partly inverticalsection, of a slightly, modified formof my invention and illustrating.the master drawer asin'closed position to actuate the drawer ing de s, a

Figure 6 isjai view, partly infsection and partly inelevation,takenthrough Figure '5 on theplane of the line 66, and

Figure 751s a fragmentary perspective View of one of tlie' locking'barsand. illustrating one manner of forming the locking lugs thereon. i

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings;thejnumeral 10desdam View:

i 'nates the wardrobe section or compartment.

of a wardrobe trunk, and 11 the drawer section or compartment in which aplurality of drawers 12 are slidably mounted on angle irons or guides 13secured to the opposite side Walls or panels 14 of the drawer section.The wardrobe and drawer sections areconnected in any ordinaryj ordesired manner and are adapted to be? locked in closed position byanysuitable means, such means being illustrated in the present embodimentas a lock 15 carried by a-hinged top section 16 hingedly connected withthe drawer section and adapted to close over the top of the a j acenttrunk panel 14, as at 19, then extends inwardly alongthe inner wall ofthe panel a slight distance, as at 20, then directed inwardly atsubstantially right angles and then folded upon itself to provide a ribor flange 21, for the purpose hereinafter described, and then directedinwardly along the inner wall of the panel and mediallyprovided with alongitudinal channeled portion 22, extending throughout substantiallythe entire length of the strip. The parts 23 on opposite sides of thechannel'22 provide attaching flanges through which rivets or othersecuring means 24 are passed to secure the strip to the trunk sidepanel; l

The ribs or flanges 21 of the strips18 pros v'ide-stops for the drawers-12 to prevent their movement into the section 11 inwardly of a linesubstantially flush with the outer margin of the panels 14. Each drawerhas the forward corners of its bottom and side walls protectedby astrip-25 providing a laterally projecting flange or rib 26ofsubstantially the width of the rib or flange '21 and of theapproximate thickness of the section 20 of the; strips 18 which abuttheribs 21 when the drawer is closed, see Figure 2. V r

Vertically slidably mounted in channel 22 of each strip 18 isa lockingbar 27 provided at intervals, substantially equal to the width of theheight of the drawers 12, with laterally projecting locking lugs 28illustrated in the present embodiment as struck or stamped from the bodyof the bar, see Figure 7. The locking lugs 28 extend outwardly of thechannel 22 through openings 29 therein and are engageable in front ofkeeper or receiver lugs 30 secured to the adjacent side walls of thedrawers 1 2, when the bar is depressed by the yieldably urge thebar'upwardly to position the lockinglugs 28 out of the path of thekeepers or receivers 30 of the drawers. I The locking bar is actuatedagainst the force of spring 32 by" one ofthe drawers, preferably theupper-most one, which is provided with a master-lock, 1 not shown, tothus permit its securement inclosed the other drawers.

In Figures 1 to4, inclusive,the upper-most:

or master draweractuates the locking bars by the side flanges'or ribs 26thereof engaging the outer free ends .735 Of bell crank levers 36pivotally secured at the outer ends of their other armsto bracketmembers 37, as at 41. One member 37 is-secured to each side wall orpanel 14 adj acentthe top of the trunk and close to the strips 18 byrivets, screws or other members 38. The rib 21 and channel 22 of eachstrip 18 are preferably cut away adjacent the bell cranklever 36 andsaid lever is provided with an elongated aperture or opening 39 adjacentits apex-,through which a pivot 40 carried by the upper end of the adjacentbar 27 passes- With-this arrangement, an inward pressure on theouter free end of the arm 35 ,will'cause a downward movement of the bellcrank lever on its pivot 41 and consequently move the bar 27 connectedtherewith againstthefo-rce of its spring 32, the elongated opening 39accommodating for the variance in the distancebetween the pivots I 40and 41 as they aremoved toward or away from a horizontally alignedposition.

position independent'of 7 From this construction it will be obvious thatas theupper-most or master drawer is moved toward closed position itsside ribs or flanges 26 press against the outer free ends 35 of the bellcrank lever 36 moving them' on i their pivots41 to depress the lockingbars against the action of their sprin s, positioning the locking lugs28inrfront o the keepers 30 of any drawer that maybe in closed positionto thus lock the same until the master drawer is moved toward openposition to permit upward movement of the locking bars by the springs'32. The keeper lugs 30 preferably have their forward and rear surfacestapered, as illustrated in'Figure 3, so that should any one of thedrawers be slightly opened, the closingaction of the lugs 38 will not beinterfered with. Y

In Figures 5 and 6 I have illustrated a slightlymodified means fordepressing the bars 27. In this form of my invention the bell cranklevers are dispensed with and upper ends of the locking barsbentlaterally, as at 42, through opening 43 in the channels to normallylie in the path of inclined angle plates 44 secured to the sides of themaster drawer 12. With this construction, closing movement of the masterdrawer causes the inner ends of the angle members I4 to ride over theinstruck locking bar ends 42 to depress the bars 27 as will be readilyobvious and engage the lugs 28 in front of the receiver lugs 30 or elsein the recesses or notches 45 in the drawer side walls as illustrated inthe modification depicted in Figure 5.

From the foregoing descrlption taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings,

it will be readily obvious to those skilled in the art to which aninvention of this character appertains that I provide an improved drawerlocking device of the character described which may be readily appliedto wardrobe trunks withoutincreasing the cost thereof, may be made forany size trunk, mas-- much as the strips 18' may be provided withopenings 29 so arranged asto be adaptable for elther five, SlX or anyother number of drawers only necessitating the provision of locking bars27 having the required number of locking lugs 28.

What I claim as my invention is j 1. In a device of the characterdescribed having a drawer section and drawers slidably mounted thereinfor opening and closing movement, a reinforcing strip secured to onedrawer section panel adjacent its marginal edge, said reinforcing. striphaving alongitudinally extendlng channel therein to .pro-' vide a guide,a bar mounted in said channel and guided by the walls of the channel andsaid panel for longitudinal movement, looking lugs connected with saidbar and exposed outwardly of said reinforcing strip, keepers carriedbythe drawers adjacent said lugs, and means operable by the closingactionof one of the drawers to actuate said bar-and engage said locking lugswith ,the' 'drawer' keepers to secure the drawers in closed position. JY

2. In a device of the character described having a drawer section anddrawers slidably mounted therein for opening and closing movement, a barmounted in the drawer section, locking lugs connected with said bar,

keepers carried by the drawers adjacent said locking lugs, a flangeprojecting laterally from the front face of one drawer for limiting theclosing movement of said drawer, and

means connected with said bar and engage able by said drawer flange assaid drawer closes to engage the locking lugs with the keepers of theother drawers and secure the drawers in closed position.

3. In a device of the character described having adrawer section anddrawers slidably mounted therein for opening and closing movement, a barlongitudinally shiftably mounted in [the :draw'er section,..meansp'r'e-i venting sidewise. movement of; said bar, lockmg lugsconnec'tedwith saidbar,.keepers. carried byithe ,drawiers adjacent said lockinglugs, a bell crank lever,- means pivotallyzsecuring. the end of one armof saidilever to the drawersectioman elongated opening in the"bellrcrank lever adjacentlits iapex,'a pivot pin .carried by the leverandengaging in said "elongated. opening wherebymovement of the bellcrank lever on its pivot longitudinally shifts said bar toengage thelocking lugs with the drawer carried .keepers,-means carried by one ofthe drawers and adapted upon closing 'to engage thezfree end. of theother arm. of

said lever tomove the lever on itspivot, and spring means normallyurging, sa1dloar to a position free of the "locking lugs .ofsaid keepers{to lpermit=unrestricted'opening and closing of the drawers. j 5 T Q 4.Ina wardrobe trunk, the combination with a drawer compartment includinga side panel; of=a finishing strip formed of bendable 1 bar. I

5311i"a-fwardrobetrunk, the combination witha drawer compartmentincluding a side panel, of :a finishing strip extending along the marginof said panel, a vertically extending sho uld'er carried by the stri toprovide a drawer stop, a drawer locking ar, a guideway longitudinallyformed in said strip to provide means for concealably mounting saiddrawer locking bar, a spring normally urging said bar upwardly, and anout-struck portionformed in said guide-way to provide ,7

a housing for said spring.

6;: In a device of the character described having a drawer section anddrawers slidably mounted therein for opening and closing movement, areinforcing strip secured to the drawer section adjacent, its marginal,edge, said reinforcing strip having a longitudinally thereby forlongitudinal shifting movement, lockinglugs connected with said bar andexposed outwardly of said reinforcing strip, keepers carried by thedrawers adjacent said lugs, operatingmeans formed on the upperextendingchannel therein to provide a guide, a bar mounted in saidchannel and guided In a wardrobe trunk, having a drawer i section anddrawers slidably mounted therein for opening and closing movements, afinish- 7 ing and reinforcing strip secured'to the inner surface of onesection side panel adjacent its outer marginal edge, a verticallyextending shoulder carried-bythe finishing strip to cooperate with alateral flangercarried by the drawers to limit the movement of thedrawers into the section, a vertical guide-way formed in the striprearwardly of its stop, a bar slidably mounted intheguide-way andprotected and concealed thereby, locking elements car-' ried by thebarand projected outwardly .of

the finishing strip to-engage with drawer carried means when the bar isin one position to lock the drawers against movement outwardly of thesection, means connected with the bar exteriorly of the finishing stripand normally extended beyond the stop thereof to be engaged by theflange of one draweras it closes to actuate said means and move the barwith its locking elements to lock the other drawers closed.

8. In a device of the character described,

,the combination of a drawer section anda plurality of drawers movabletherein, a facing strip secured to the inner edges'of the drawer-sectionand provided witha flange against which drawers abut when in a closedposition, said strip having formed therein a channel forthe' receptionof a movable drawer locking element, said element provided with anoperating extension projecting through said flange, and saidextension'being actuated upon the closing movement of one of thedrawers. r

f In, testimony whereof I afiix mysignature.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY.

